Hi Everyone 

It’s been a lovely relaxing February so far. Traditionally it’s one of the quieter months in business. I have had some time to destress and unwind a little. It’s so easy to get caught up in the pressures of life. Sometimes situations or people can drain the life from us. It’s so important to put our own mental health and emotional well being first. 

 

 
Those who are following me for a while know my Instagram feed is full of photos of lough lannagh, trees, local scenery, water etc. I always find the beauty of the west of Ireland breathtaking. Looking at pretty scenes give me feelings of positivity. I always find it very calming to walk by the water, that’s why there’s loads of Lake selfies on my Insta and snapchat.

  
So over the last few weeks We have tried out a few new places to walk. On Valentine’s Day we did the Raheen Woods walk out the Newport Road. It’s not a very long walk but You could easily walk around the loop twice. It’s just fabulous out there in the beautiful woodland walk. I’d highly recommend it. A great spot and only minutes from Castlebar Town. 

 

 
On the same day We made a trip to Belmullet. On a beautiful clear day there’s nowhere more beautiful than the beaches of North Mayo. We stopped for a quick snack in the Broadhaven bay hotel. A beautiful spot for a little mini break. I hear there’s some great walking trails in the locality which We intend to explore soon. 

  

 

Last week We took a spin up to Cong on Friday evening. What a quaint beautiful little place. We went for a long walk around the grounds of Ashford Castle, it is spectacular.A stunningly  beautiful place. Mesmerising to be honest. We would love to stay there sometime as a special treat. I’d say it’s an awesome experience.  I’ve heard the food is to die for. We walked all around the grounds it was just fabulous. I would highly recommend a visit to this amazing spot. Ashford Castle is on the Galway Mayo border, definitely worth the trip to Cong. 
 

 

So I’m thinking of taking a photography course starting at the end of March in Castlebar. I’m always snapping on my phone but I have a dslr camera too. It’s a hobby for me really. I love to celebrate the beauty of Mayo and share it with the world through my social media channels. I think the colours and the landscape this time of year is just beautiful. I love that We live in such a spectacular County. So I was inspired to write this post on some of our Local beauty spots that I enjoy. I also love the turlough greenway and the windmill walk out the old Glenisland road. The Booster station is another fabulous spot for a hill walk.  I’m sure there are more glorious spots around   . I intend to explore a lot more in the coming months. I will keep You all informed of any beauty spots that I discover. 

 

So that’s it for today folks, I hope You enjoyed this post and please give it a share to promote our beautiful County Mayo.

Thanks for reading 

Love Maria xx 
 

 
 
  

Hi Everyone,
I hope You are all well. A few of You have been in contact to ask how I am getting on with my Invisalign treatment. I thought Id write it all in a blog post for You to read. So I’ve been wearing my aligners now since the 30th of November. The first few days I found it hard to get used to wearing them. Its like anything new, it felt alien to me. My mouth was a little dry so I had to keep sipping water, Never a bad thing eh?? There was a small bit of discomfort but nothing too serious at all. I used a swish of Diflam mouthwash just before I put them in to desensitise the gum area which was slightly tender. There were one or two rough edges on the aligners which I was able to use a nail file to buff off any sharp edges. I also got some orthodontic gum from David Mc Convilles which was very handy to smooth over any edges. After day three my mouth and mind had adjusted to the new way of life and it got much easier.  
  
David Mc Conville Orthodontics Sligo

By week two I was far more comfortable and fell into my new routine. My aligners need to be worn 22 hours a day or so. I wear them sleeping, and I wear them at work so that makes up a huge chunk of the day. The other hours in between just fly by I hardly notice I’m wearing them especially while driving, exercising, shopping etc etc . I can take them out to eat and drink which is a godsend really. I usually take them out and soak them in clear mouthwash, or Retainerbrite, while I am eating. I like to keep them as fresh and clean as possible. I brush my teeth after meals and pop the aligners back in. So far I haven’t had any difficulties with them at all. Its also helped me to reduce my coffee consumption which cant be a bad thing.
  

As part of my treatment I needed to have two teeth extracted. My mouth was overcrowded and in order to make room to correct my teeth two needed to be removed. I was a nervous wreck over this. It turned out to be absolutely fine. I went to my own dentist here in Castlebar for the extractions. It was all over in a few minutes I had driven myself insane with worry but there was no need at all. My next appointment in David Mc Convilles is on January 25th where I will see how my treatment is progressing. I really can not believe how fast the weeks are flying by. I will be almost two months into my fourteen month treatment at that stage. I will keep you guys posted along the way.
As always thanks for reading and remember sharing is Caring.
Love Maria xx 
   

  Hi Everyone

Happy 2016 to you all, today I’m talking about SnapChat on the Blog. Who is a fan?? I’m a little bit obsessed. Those who are already following me will know this. The thing I love about Snapchat is it’s so fast. You can talk to your friends in little 10second video clips. Having been a social media fanatic for the past few years Snapchat really helps me to let my followers know who I am. It’s very personal, as I’m talking to the screen, it’s so real. I actually love video, it’s so much easier to get Your message across quickly.  It’s almost as good as chatting to friends in person. 

On my snapchat story You will find 

1. Hair salon snaps, from work. 
2. Some make up snaps. 
3. Skincare snaps, mainly Image as I love the stuff. 
4. Blog post snaps to let My followers know when I’ve written a new post. 
5. Recipes live from my kitchen, I love to cook.
6. Food snaps, as I share what I’m eating.
7. Mirror selfies, I love a good mirror selfie it’s like my trademark.
8. Outdoor snaps from when I’m out for my walks. 
9. Invisalign snaps as I keep Everyone updated of how my treatment is going. 
10. Shopping snaps, if I’m browsing then my snapchat followers are browsing too. 
11. Restaurant snaps, I love to write restaurant reviews about where we have eaten. (This drives Mr Dillon insane) when I snap our meal. But hey, if the food is that good people should know ??

  
I love to follow other Bloggers on Snapchat. I love to watch what everyone is up too. From make up tutorials to cooking up healthy meals, there’s loads of interesting watching on Snapchat. I love watching others on snapchat and learning from them. 

I’ve put together a list of a few of my favourites just to introduce You all to some of the SnapChatters I’m watching and I enjoy daily. If You are wondering what all the fuss is about Start following a few of these guys to see what it’s all about. 

Fellow Blogger Kim Doyle of SoSoDempo is one of my Blogger buddies that I met through snapchat. Kim does Make up tutorials and treats us to little fashion shows live from her bedroom. Find her at @kimdempo

  
James Butler is another favourite of mine, He is absolutely hilarious. He torments his poor Mother on Snapchat. It’s pure Irish comedy at its best. Well worth joining Snapchat for, as You will literally pee in Your pants watching him. 

  
Waxperts Ellen is another star snapper I look forward to seeing what herself Conrad, and little Cooper are getting up to each day. Ellen always has great style a good selection from Penneys to Prada I always love her looks. Ellen is also a big fan of Image Skincare which I also love. 

  
Darryn is a fellow Unislimmer I enjoy his food and recipe snaps along with the motivational snaps of him out in all weathers getting his workouts in. 

  
TheCircleOfBeauty is fellow Mayo Blogger Becky Timlin, Becky works for Inglot in Galway and keeps us all entertained daily with great make up tutorials. 

  
I’ve Just recently added Katrina K2 Hair and I just love her snaps. Katrina owns a hair and make up salon in Cabra Dublin. Of course this is very close to my own heart as I have had my own Salon in Castlebar since 2007. Katrina does great hair and make up snaps as well as chatting openly about her daily life. 

  
I’ve only recently added RoseMary Mac Cabe but I’ve really enjoyed watching her over the last few days. I find her honesty refreshing. 

 

A few other snappers I love are Pippa o Conner, Marissa Carter, Kate Kelly, Bff Lisa, facesbygrace23, sosueme.ie, the make up fairy. Roz Purcell, AJ Fitzsimons,Beauty nook, TheNakedBlondie, Dramaticmac to name but a few.
I hope You have enjoyed this post and if You are on Snapchat come say Hi to me. Please give this post a share on Your social media accounts. 

Thanks for reading 

Love Maria 

Xx

Hi Everyone,

Hope You are all well and enjoying the holiday season. I had three days off and I spent some time relaxing at home with family. Yesterday the 27th of December Myself and Mr Dillon went to Galway, to look for a new computer in PC world. We got a little beaut, and a bargain too. I wanted an actual PC for working at home. I needed loads of storage for all my photos etc and plenty memory.  We also had a look in all the home furnishing stores. Ez living, home focus woodies and Dunnes stores in Terryland. In my opinion Dunnes had the best selection with great discounts and loads of pretty things. We bought a standing lamp for our sitting room. I also bought a lamp for Lee’s room and I bought Lee a leather belt in Tommy Hilfiger. How domesticated are We??? God be with the days when all the days between Christmas and New Year were spent in the pub. Now We are more excited about Homestore and more.

We stopped by 56 central for lunch. I always love the food here, its absolutely delicious. I was in desperate need of a good clean meal after all the gluttony of the past few days. Of course Mr Dillon loves a good Full Irish so He was only too delighted to hear it was available. I went for the superfood salad, with Goats cheese, beetroot , quinoa and sun blush tomatoes. It was amazing as always, so refreshing and tasty. Mr Dillon was delighted with his all day breakfast which had chips included, much to his delight. I always find it hard to strike a balance in eateries. Its either super healthy or not healthy at all. I love how 56 Central always has  great variety of naughty and nice. Mr Dillon was well impressed with 56 as this was the first time He had accompanied me there. I had plans to meet a friend later for pizza and wine so I was trying to be good for at least half the day.

 

 

 

I popped into River island for a quick look at the sale. It was dog eat dog in there and everything was allover the place. I spotted a skirt that was reduced to €18 but there was a que of about 15 people and I just could’nt be bothered. So We headed off home again. I didnt see anything in the sales that made me go WOW. We got a good deal on the computer and Dunnes had a good few things reduced but that was all. It was a lovely day out and we headed out to the salthill prom for a walk. This was badly needed a good blast of fresh air coming in from the Atlantic was just what We needed to blow away the cobwebs. It was so busy out on the prom with loads of people walking.

  

 

     

  Later that evening I met up with my friend Geraldine who now lives in London. We went to La farnia in Westport. This is a casual wine bar \ pizza place. Its a lovely relaxed atmosphere serving Wine, Pizza, Burgers and prosecco cocktails. Its a lovely Idea for a casual dining option, instead of a formal restaurant.  We had a bottle of pinot gricio, a sharing platter to start which was garlic bread, cheeses, dips and cold meats and a large pizza, the bill came to €47 which was very reasonably priced. We had a lovely few drinks after in Mc brides and Mc Gings and the clock. It was a great catch up and a lovely night.

So that it for now, Come follow me on snapchat for my latest antics at mrspdilly2b

Love Maria  xx

Hi Everyone

I hope You all enjoyed Your Christmas. I am suffering from an obesity hangover. I’ve spent the last three days over indulging in everything. I allow my self three days to eat like a pig. 24th, 25th and 26th of December are my “diet holidays” I eat and drink whatever I want and don’t give it a second thought. You know it’s bad when your having a slice of chocolate biscuit cake with Baileys coffee for breakfast.  ?????

However my holidays are nearly over, I feel sluggish and bloated and I’m literally about to burst. Tomorrow it’s time to pull in the reins and start to wean myself back to a normal eating pattern. It’s hard to go cold turkey on the 27th. If I can be 80% good tomorrow and get out for a little walk Il be happy. I’m back to work in Monday so it’s back to routine. I find it way easier when I’m working to keep to a healthy eating plan. 

  
I cannot wait for January, I love the fresh start of a new year. I’m so looking forward to getting out walking again and getting loads of fresh air. I want to lose more weight in 2016. My sister is getting married in July so it’s Bridesmaid Bootcamp all the way.  I love the Unislim plan and I’m so looking forward to getting stuck in and hitting some weight loss targets in 2016.

  

I will have some lovely healthy recipes on the blog for You all in the New year. I always watch Operation Transformation. I love it, myself and Lee always watch it together. It’s great for keeping motivated during the detox season. I always try to think positive and see the good side to January. It’s a time for setting goals and making plans for the year ahead. Any little tools to help me achieve my goals are always welcome. 

  

Until then folks I wish You all a great week. We will be busy at work styling all the ladies for the weddings and events between Christmas and New year. In the meantime keep up to date with my antics on snapchat.

  
Chat to you all soon. 

Love Maria 

Hi Everyone

Happy Christmas to you all. I want to say a big massive thanks to You all for reading my blog and following me on my social media all year. My lovely ladies who come to Platinum are just the most amazing thoughtful people in the world. A huge thanks to you all and of course to Sarah my wing woman who keeps the show on the road when I’m not around. 2015 was an emotional roller coaster for myself and my family. We had extreme highs and extreme lows. From the laughs on my hen in January and the fabulous run up to our wedding in March. To the terrible loss of our Mum in August and the arrival of my nephew in September.  It’s been a busy year. 

Enjoy,

Love Maria xx

 
  
   
  
 

   

  

   

    
We lost our beloved Mum in August. It was the worst ordeal of our lives, a very tough time for us all. 

 

  

   

 

     
  

Hi Everyone 

I’ve been quiet on the blog lately as work has been crazy. Hairdressers and beauty industry workers get a raw deal at Christmas. We work long hours and have some very early starts getting everyone ready for the party season. On Saturday We attended a wedding at Knockranny house hotel in Westport. I couldn’t drink at the wedding as I had work the next day. This was a first for me.  When Your self employed and it’s Christmas You have to make hay while the sun shines. So that means no crazy nights out until the work is done. Let me tell you I am so looking forward to a few drinks once I finish up tomorrow.

 

I got this gorgeous dress in Swamp in Castlebar. It was perfect for a Christmas wedding and very comfortable to wear. At €60 it was a steal. We had a fab day at the wedding it was really lovely. The meal in Knockranny is always outstanding. 

  
I have been terrible with my exercise lately as work has been so busy. I’m looking forward to get back to a good routine asap. I have been hanging by a thread to my healthy eating. Temptation is everywhere. Food prep and the freezer has been my saving grace. I still attended Unislim up until last week and I have maintained my weight. I couldn’t make it this week as it is just too busy. I’m given myself three days holidays Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephens day as holidays from my diet. I intend to fully enjoy them. 

 

I will be back over the next few days with a few tasty recipes for you guys. 

Chat soon

Love Maria  

Hi Folks,

Hope You are all Well, I’ve been busy lately getting ready for December. On Sunday I had a lovely day in Dublin at  the Blogger Conference. This is my idea of heaven a great day out with like minded people. I just love going to these meet ups and I always get loads of inspiration and ideas for my blog. It’s lovely to spend time with others that have the same interests as myself. It can be hard at times because some people can’t understand what the “blogging bug” is all about. I often get asked why do you blog?? Isn’t it a lot of work?? Social media addicts like myself don’t see it as work though. We blog because we love it. We document our lives and loves for many different reasons. Some do it to grow their business, or to self motivate, some do it for their love of fashion, food , photography etc. There’s no real rules, if your passionate about it you can blog about it. Either you have the “blogging bug” or You don’t. That’s my view anyway. I certainly have it. So a day of listening to inspiring talks on all things blogging and social media related is pure bliss. 

 

 
The Blogger Conference was held in The Marker Hotel in Dublin. This is a fabulous part of the city and a perfectly apt location. As far as I know this is the social media hub of Ireland. Google and Facebook have offices in the locality. The Marker Hotel is a super cool venue with a great atmosphere. It was a great choice for the event organised by the lovely Emma o Farrell from EOF media in Dublin. 

  
I met up with my lovely friends Amy from Floralesque blog and Sarah  from Siren and Soul. We are all members of Into the west blogger network based in Galway. We also ran into our friends from The creative yoke, blog and Mags style. 

There wereloads of amazing speakers on the day. It was a lot of information but great fun too. I learned loads but it felt like we were all there having the craic. I love when learning and good fun roll in together like that. The day absolutely flew. The hillarious James Butler was MC for the day. If you are not already following him on Snapchat add him ASAP the man is actually hilarious. 

  

We heard from Rachel Dalton who is a PR guru. Jenny Taffe from Izest marketing and got some great tips on personal branding. Jenny and her team look after Pippa O Conner, I often wondered who handled Pippas PR as she has achieved so much and has a following most of us could only dream of. So I was very interested in Jenny’s tips and advice. 

   

 

We also got some legal advice on how to mind ourselves online. This really opened my eyes to the legality of posting online. It’s not just about not writing anything negative about anyone. In a world where we over share all the time, things could get messy. Definitely one to think about. We also heard from Laura Haugh who writes for Mummypages.ie her hints and tips for getting noticed as a writer were very helpful.  The info on Google Adsense was great as I had been a bit baffled by it before. It was great to get an insight. 

 

 Soon it was time to break for lunch as we were all starving after all that heavy concentration. The Marker Hotel looked after us in style with a fabulous spread of yummy sandwiches and treats.

   

 
Barbra Scully was one of my favourites from the day. She was so charming and full of wit. Her talk was very inspiring. Barbra hosts a radio show which is something I’m quite interested in pursuing myself at some stage. I’ve done a few small bits on local radio and I’ve always really enjoyed it. 

We were treated to a Canon camera masterclass with Simeon Quarry this was hillarious  and just brilliant fun. Simeon’s approach to delivering the information to us was so energetic and full of life I didn’t even feel like I was learning at the time. I will definitely remember his tips on lighting and video.

    
  
  
Samantha Kelly otherwise known As tweeting goddess gave us a lovely talk on Twitter. I’m a big fan of Samantha so I was delighted to see her there. I think she’s a brilliant business lady and so down to earth and helpful too.  Later on We heard some great You tube advise. We also heard from the panel of Lifestyle, fitness and travel bloggers. Last speaker of the day was fashion blogger Anouska who was great fun. Her Instagram is to die for. We heard a few of her photography tips. 

  

All in all the day was great fun. I met some lovely people including Karen from Declare Ireland. It was lovely to see Freida from Athlone town Centre again too. Our goodybags were packed full of treats for us to try. As a hairdresser I’m very interested in the Viviscal products from Life’s too good. 

  
   
 
Blogger conference 22/11 was a brilliant day I really enjoyed it and I’m already looking forward to the 2016 event. 

Thank You all for reading and remember Sharing is caring.

Love Maria xx

   
    

Hi Everyone 

Happy Monday, another week already. As my snapchat followers will know I had a great day on Saturday at my friends wedding. We had such fun getting the bridal party ready. Maureen looked stunning and I was so delighted to have been part of their day. 

 

 
My friend Ashling from Glo beauty clinic did the bridal make up. As always she did an amazing job and all the girls looked stunning. Ashling did my make up for my own wedding back in March. 

 

The wedding was at Breaffy house resort where Maureen works as Wedding Planner. It was a beautiful wedding with fantastic attention to detail. There was a rustic autumnal theme running through the flowers cake etc. 

 
I snapped this gorgeous photo just after I put on Maureen’s veil on Saturday morning. I think it’s a fabulous shot. A great moment to capture. 
 

I pinned curled Maureen’s hair on the Friday evening and left it to set over night. This gives great hold and really helps the style to last all day. I also used a clip in extension from Hairspray to add volume to the style. 

   
For the bridesmaids we kept the rustic autumnal theme going with loose messy side buns. 

   
  

All in all it was a super fun morning and a fantastic day. Massive congrats to Mr and Mrs Toner. If you have any questions about bridal hair feel free to get in contact with me. Maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie I have styled loads of brides and as a recent bride myself I’ve accumulated a lot of tips and tricks. My salon website is  Platinumhairdressing.ie feel free to have a browse.
Thank you for reading and please hit share.

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

As you know I have been prepping for my friends wedding all week. Any of my snapchat followers will be well up to date on events. So I’ve been skin prepping with my favourite IMAGE products all week. I’ve done some light exfoliating as I’m prone to hormonal breakouts. I usually concentrate on the nose and forehead areas and do a very light sweep on my chin as its very sensitive. I’ve also been using the Image serum and night cream this week. It’s really fabulous and has calmed down the breakout.

 

I done my own tan last night. I rarely do my own tan. I usually get a spray tan. I’ve got six bottles of tan at home that have never been used so I thought I’d use them up. I opted for the Rimmel light matte tan. I don’t wear dark tan at all. I’m quite fair and I love to embrace the pale but I can’t go out totally bare. My Favourite tan is cocoa brown. I thought I’d give the Rimmel a go for a change and I’m very impressed with it. If your like me and you don’t like to be too dark. Definitely try this product.

 

  

So I’m wearing black tomorrow, it’s a River Island dress I bought a few months ago. I’m going to accessorise with Gold. I went for red nails as I’m wearing my favourite lipstick Mac Lady Danger. Keep an eye on my snapchat tomorrow to see my full look.

  

I got these amazing shoes yesterday in New Look in Castlebar. I just love them. They go perfectly with my outfit. This beautiful bag is from Tomorrow’sHeirlooms.ie I just fell in love with it. It reminds me of The Great Gatsby one of my favourite movies. I love the sparkle and extravagance of that era. 

    As I’m styling my friends bridal party in the morning I’m very excited. We done her hair trial on Tuesday and it’s just beautiful. I won’t be able to show you until next week when all the fun is over. My friend Ashling from Glo beauty clinic is doing the Make ups tomorrow. We have worked together many times and it’s always a fun morning in the brides house. Ashling was my make up artist for our wedding back in March. This evening I’m going to prep the brides hair by pin curling it. This will set the curls in place and help to give better hold for tomorrow. 

So that’s it folks. Il do a full post next week with my outfit details. Keep an eye on my snap chat I’m sure there will be loads of wedding selfies going on tomorrow evening.

Bye for now,

Love Maria